CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The success of every organization essentially depends on the effectiveness of leadership and performance of the employees. Good leadership is one of the critical factors that drives the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational management (Cameron, Quinn, DeGraff & Thakor, 2022). Leadership has been defined as the process in which an individual directs, and influences a group of followers towards achieving a common goal (Bolden, Hawkins & Gosling, 2023; Northouse, 2007; Rezaei, Yarmo-hammadian, & Mahmoodzadeh-Ardakani, 2017). In this apart, leadership has been described as the capacity for an individual to inspire, direct and change the behaviuors of other people in order to produce a significant outcome for an organisation (DuBrin, 2022). Leaders apply different leadership styles in their organizational management so that they can reach the projected outcomes, desired objectives goals. Afsar and Umrani, (2020) and Guterresa, Armanu and Rofiaty, (2020) defined leadership styles as a set of behaviours adopted by leaders which largely motivate them to influence their subordinates reach the organizational goals and objectives. A study by Guterresa et al., (2020), categorized leaderships into democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire. Autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles. Autocratic leaders strictly adopt the command and control approach to influence the behaviour of employs. Autocratic leaders are motivated to use tools such as threats, punishment, reward to direct and control the followers (Olayisade, & Awolusi, 2021). In a restricted sense, autocratic leaders sets goals for the employees and command them to perform the tasks without entertaining any questions from flowers and consideration of their opinions. According to (Olayisade, & Awolusi, 2021), a democratic leadership

style employs their followers in the decision-making process in the organisation. The democratic leaders encourage participation of employees in addressing challenges and working together to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. Laissez –faire leadership style moreover involves giving the followers a maximum freedom with little or no direction and control of the activities and actions performed in the organization (Ahsan & Khalid, 2023). Laissez –faire leaders allow the employees to solve their own problems without their interventions.

In the recent literature, Alheet, Adwan, Areiqat, Zamil and Saleh (2021) classifies leadership into the transformational, transactional and Laissez–faire leadership styles. Transformational leadership styles involves a complex dynamic process in which leaders develop strong emotional relationship with the followers with the intension of influencing their values, goals, vision and beliefs. Transformational leadership style tend to develop the followers’ talent. And motivating them to achieve their self-fulfillment, expectations and goals in the organization Alheet, et al., 2021). Transformational leaders have clear vision of changing the employees’ attitude and behaviours towards achieving that reorganizational goals (Afsar, & Umrani, 2020). The transactional leadership however focuses on employing the reward and punishment approach to support the employees so as to increase their performance (Alheet, et al., 2021). Under the transactional leadership, the employees tend to have a contractual agreement and relationship with the leaders on the basis that if employees if employees achieve higher performance they are rewarded while those who obtain poor performance receive tangible performance. In this regard, employees turn to focus more on their personal interests instead of the organizational interest.

Globally there is more attention on how the various organizational leadership styles influence employees’ performance (Afsar & Umrani, 2020; Guterresa, et al.,

2020; DuBrin, 2022; Cameron et al., 2022). Findings from extant literature such as Asbari, Hidayat and Purwanto (2021) reveal that transformational leadership has positive influence on employee job performance using readiness for change is mediating factor in Indonesia. The authors propose transformational leadership style as an emerging leadership model strongly associated with positive employee job outcomes with mediation or without mediation. In the US, authors such as Meng and Berger (2019) found that leadership has a great impact on performance and job satisfaction. Leaders who are able to influence their employees effectively and efficiently are able to direct and increase their job satisfaction and performance positively.

In Africa, studies such as Donkor, Dongmei, & Sekyere, (2021), Abdullahi et al.,(2020), Amegayibor (2021) and Olayisade and Awolusi, (2021) have found that leadership styles have significant influence on employee job performance. For instance in Nigeria, Olayisade and Awolusi, (2021) agree that improved employee job performance is positively linked to democratic leadership style. Democratic leaders are able to influence and motive the employees to participate in the decision making process of the organization and contribute responsibly to productivity and performance of the organization. In Ghana, Amegayibor (2021) further conclude autocratic, charismatic, and paternalistic leadership styles influence employees’ performance. The author also revealed that autocratic, charismatic, and visionary leadership styles influence error reduction while paternalistic and visionary leadership styles influence employees’ quality of work. Donkor et al., 2021) found that transformational and transactional leadership have significant influence on employee job performance in Ghana.

In this perspectives, recent studies on job performance and leadership styles offer strong evidence that there has been a paradigm shift from traditional authoritative

structure dictating work environment to Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (Abdullahi, Anarfo & Anyigba, 2020; Cho, & Kao 2022; Sunatar, 2022 Abdullahi, et al.,(2020)); Organizational Citizenship Behaviour is described as the kind of behaviour that is not included in the part of a formal work obligation for an employee, but its function can support an organization to be effective (Cho, & Kao 2022). It is often seen as an extra role which does not necessarily attracts compensation. Organizations have recognized the relevance of leadership styles and their influence on discretionary and individuals’ initiatives, and cooperation in achieving the goals of an organization. Sunatar (2022) found that there is significant positive effect between employee competence on organizational citizenship behavior and a significant positive effect between leadership styles on employee performance mediated by organizational citizenship behavior.

From this background, it is evident that organizational citizenship behaviour have a greater potential in the various organizations to influence positive organization survival that reinforces employee motivation and job performance. Organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) has further created a new direction for scholars to re- examine the direct and indirect channels as mechanism through which leadership styles can contribute to employee job performance. Motivated by this backdrop, this study investigate the impact of leadership on OCB and employee job performance in in the public sector.

The Public sector consists of organizations, local governments or cities with

significant control, through full, majority or significant minority ownership (Buchheim, Krieger & Arndt, 2020). Compared to the private sector, the public sector play critical role in the development of the country. The public sector organizations are controlled based on corporate principles and practices which contributes to the growth and

development of the public sector organizations (Ackers & Adebayo, 2022). For example the authors suggest that public sector enterprises are mechanisms that could be leveraged to assist African states such as Ghana achieve their development Agenda. Hence the present study investigates the impacts of leadership styles on employee job performance and Organizational citizen behaviour among the public sector employees in Ghana.

Statement of Research Problem

The public sector plays a vital role in an economy especially in the developing countries in providing goods and services that would not be attractive to private enterprises. The public sector in Cameroon is the centre of most reported fraud cases, corruption acts and poor employee job performance (Owusu, Koomson, Alipoe & Kani, 2022, Donkor, Dongmei, & Sekyere, 2021). The public institutions in the public sector space in Cameroon plays a vital in the socioeconomic development of the country. The public sector in Ghana provide employment opportunities for the labour force, contributes to innovation, development of human resources, production of goods and services.

Donkor, Dongmei, and Sekyere, (2021) stated for public sector organizations and enterprises to survive and improve their performance in this turbulent environment and achieve set objectives, they need to provide leadership that will influence employee job performance. High performance and Productive employees are the lifeblood of every organization. Employees are further seen as the assets of every organization especially employees who are innovative, creative and cooperative and are highly appreciated and encouraged (Donkor, et al.,2021). Nonetheless, the long-standing question is to what extent can leadership architecture in the public sector space in the Ghanaian economy improve employee job performance and organizational citizenship

Extensive review of literature reveals that the studies on the influence of leadership styles on organizational leadership and employee job performance have largely been conducted in the private organizations (Amegayibor, 2021, Hilton, Arkorful, & Martins, 2021). While the public organizations have received limited attention Donkor et. al., 2021). There are limited number of studies that discuss the influence of leadership styles on organizational citizenship behaviour and employee performance in the public sector state owned institutions in the developing countries such as Ghana (Owusu et al., 2022). Based on this backdrop, this study investigate the extent to which leadership can influence employee job performance and Organizational citizenship Behaviour in the public sector in Ghana using the Metropolitan, municipal and district Assemblies (MMDAs) employees in the Ashanti region as a case.

Main Objective of the Study

The main research objective of the study sought to investigate the direct and indirect influence on employee performance through the mediating effect of organizational citizenship behaviour in a state owned enterprises from the Buea municipality

Specific Research Objectives

1. To examine the effect of Democratic leadership style on Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
2. To identify the impact of Autocratic leadership style on Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
3. To examine how Transformational leadership style influence Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
4. To investigate the impact of Transactional leadership style on Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour

Specific Research Questions

1. What is impact of Democratic leadership style on Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
2. Does autocratic leadership style influence Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
3. What is the effect of Transformational leadership style on Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
4. How does Transactional leadership style influence Employee job performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour